Klochkova Takes Two on Day Two of Rio World Cup; Hoogie and Beard Win Impressively

By Phillip Whitten

RIO DE JANEIRO, November 17. OLYMPIC champions Yana Klochkova, Ukraine, and Pieter van den Hoogenband, Holland, were both victorious on Day Two of the FINA World Cup meet in Rio de Janeiro. The meet is the first stop on the 2002-03 FINA World Cup tour.

Klochkova won the 200m fly and 400m IM, but each time she was pushed to the limit. In the 200m fly, she clocked 2:09.04, a stroke ahead of South Africa's Mandy Loots, in 2:09.38. In the 400m IM — the event in which she holds the world mark — she had to fight off Argentina's Georgina Bardach and surprising Brazilian 15 year-old, Joanna Maranhao. Klochkova touched in 4:36.94 with Bardach at 4a:38.49 and Maranhao finishing in a national record 4:42.27.

Van den Hoogenband won the 200m freestyle to finish with two golds and two silvers for the two day meet. The Flying Dutchman was too strong for Brazilians Rodrigo Castro and Gustavo Borges as he came home in 1:44.70 to finish 1.39 seconds ahead of Castro and 3.01 in front of Borges.

Argentina's Jose Meolans confirmed his fine form by beating hometown favorite Fernando Scherer into second place in the 50m freestyle, clocking a time of 21.53 seconds. Meolans also won gold in the 100 free yesterday.

Australia's Brooke Hanson won the 50 breast in 31.24 as Americans Amanda Beard, Ashley Roby and Stacianna Stitts occupied the next three spots.

Beard added the 200m breast to her win yesterday in the 100, touching in 2:23.16, a second ahead of Austria's Mirba Jukic, 16, the European champion.

Beard also was runner-up to Brazilian-born U.S. swimmer Gabrielle Rose in the women's 100m IM. In all,
Beard left Rio with an impressive total of two golds and three silvers.

Brazil's Bruno Bonfim recevied deserved applause from the home crowd with a fine win in the men's 1,500m free in 15:13.50. Fellow Brazilian Caio Moretzshon broke the South American record as he touched second in the men's 200m IM in 1:59.61 behind Hungary's Tamas Kerkjarto (1:57.52.)

Rogerio Romero gave the home crowd even more to cheer about by winning the men's 200m backstroke in 1:56.52.

The USA's Rachel Komisarz, who swam more events than anyone else here, produced one of the best swims of the day in winning the women's 400m freestyle. After swimming with the field for 200 meters, she picked up the pace on the back half, withstanding a strong challenge by China's Chen Hua to win in 4:07.66.

China's Zhou Yafei Zhou, who won the 100 fly yesterday by 5-hundredths of a second, swam away with an even tighter win in the 50 fly today. Zhou touched in 26.92 seconds, just ahead of the USA's Haley Cope (26.95) and Rachel Komisarz (27.00).

FINA WORLD CUP 2002-2003
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
DAY TWO: November 17, 2002